India is the fourth largest generator of electricity through wind energy/wind turbines. The potential of wind power in India has been assessed to be 300 GW. As of Nov. 2015, the installed capacity of wind power in India is estimated to be slightly less than 25 GW. Wind power contributes to around 8% of the power generation capacity in India, and it contributes to 65% of power generation capacity among renewable power sources in the country.
Top 5 Indian States with the Highest installed Wind Power capacity: Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan & Karnataka. Tamil Nadu contributes to around 35% of the total wind power capacity in India. Gujarat is estimated to have the maximum gross wind power potential in the country. The Government of India aims to achieve 60 GW of wind power by 2022.
Largest Wind Farm in India: Muppandal wind farm, Tamil Nadu (1500 MW capacity).
Suzlon, an Indian-owned company, is one of the major manufacturer of wind turbines across the world, and has an installed capacity of more than 6.2 GW in India alone. The major wind turbine manufacturers active in India include Suzlon, GE, LM Wind Power, Vestas, Gamesa, Siemens, ReGen Powertech, RRB Energy, Inox Wind, etc.
2.5 MW and 2.8 MW Wind Turbines are among the largest capacity wind turbines installed in India with massive rotor diameters of approx. 100m & 109m respectively. Offshore wind farms are being considered to be developed in the Indian states of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. Accelerated depreciation and other incentives are available for businesses installing wind power capacity in India.
The Indian Wind Energy Association (InWEA) is a non profit organization that is dedicated to the promotion of wind energy in India. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), is the Government body that oversees the policy and development of renewable energy, including wind energy, in India.
A Wind Resource Map, indicating the wind power potential of various regions of India is available online. Indian Wind Power, managed by Indian Wind Power Manufacturer's Association, is a dedicated magazine that publishes regular news and articles about wind power in India. You can read many articles related to technology, policy, investment, etc. in the wind energy sector, from here.
Hybrid Solar-Wind and Solar-Hydro power projects are common in India as two forms of renewable energy can combine together and compensate for one another during periods of low production. Besides, there is a lot of space available in wind energy sites where solar panels can easily be installed, to compliment the energy generated by wind. Wind turbines can even be installed on farms and other useful land without interfering with regular activities.
As you can see, wind power has the potential to create enormous impact in India and the Govt. is rightly targeting to become a superpower in Wind Energy.
Further Information: Wikipedia article on Wind power in India.
This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.
